• Medicaid Service Coordination:  (315) 782-4977

Medicaid Service Coordination provides services for individuals who are developmentally disabled, eligible for Medicaid, and reside in locations other than intermediate care facilities, specialty hospitals, or psychiatric centers.  MSC services are designed to assist these people in accessing medical, social, educational, and other services in the community necessary for their well being.  The service coordination must be planned, proactive, and comprehensive in nature.

• Respite (Weekday):  (315) 782-5285

DPAO provides a Drop-in-Center for short-term respite services for families of a developmentally disabled member.  The respite program provides temporary relief when the family is confronted by an emergency, has formal business, or needs time for leisure or activities such as shopping, doctor appointments, or important meetings.

• Free Standing Respite (Evening / Overnight / Weekend):  (315) 782-2485
652 Thompson Street • Watertown, New York 13601                                                                                                         22952 Pamelia Avenue • Watertown, New York 13601 (Overflow Home)

The free standing respite program is for a developmentally disabled person of any age.  An individual may stay for as little as an hour, overnight, for the weekend, a week, etc.  Each stay may not be more than 30 consecutive days and may not be utilized more than 42 days per year.  The house is staffed by experienced people who try to make the individual's stay as much fun, as relaxing, and as much like home as possible.  Guest are accepted by appointment only.

• Home and Community Based Waiver Services:  (315) 782-4977

Community Habilitation
Community Habilitation is usually provided in the home and may be provided at any time of day.  Some examples of goals the individuals may wish to work on are:  cooking, dressing themselves, toilet training, cleaning house, budgeting, appropriate social behavior, personal hygiene skills, and planning menus.

Day Habilitation
Day Habilitation takes place 51% of the time outside the home of an individual and may be provided at any time of day.  Some examples of goals the individuals may wish to work on are:  using public transportation, safety skills within the community, shopping skills, utilizing community resources such as the library, appropriate public behavior, and how to order from a menu.

• Summer Recreation Program:  (315) 782-3577

DPAO sponsors a Summer Recreation program for five weeks each summer for youngsters with special needs.  The program serves children who reside in Jefferson County, who because of special needs (developmental, mental, physical, or socioemotional), have been reluctant or unable to successfully participate in the recreational programs currently offered.   The program offers the children activities such as arts and crafts, group games, and field trips.  The program is coordinated and supervised by a trained special educator, staffed with young adults who are hired under the auspices of DPAO and JTPA, and supported by many volunteers.

• Family Reimbursement / Voucher Program:  (315) 782-3577

DPAO offers families the opportunity to hire someone to take care of their developmentally disabled individual in the home.  Families with developmentally disabled individuals with severe medical difficulties or who are difficult to care for, participate in this program.  The parent hires a respite provider and submits a voucher.  DPAO pays for the services rendered by the respite provider.

• Emergency Services and Unmet Needs:  (315) 782-3577

This programs assists individuals on a reviewed request basis only and when services are not currently available in existing programs funded by local, county, state, and federal agencies.   Such requests include seeking assistance in obtaining transportation, medications, medical equipment, and emergency medical needs.

• Information Referral / Client Advocacy Services:  (315) 782-4977

The main goal of this service is to assist families of a developmentally disabled member in becoming their own advocates and providing them with needed information / referral services that are available to them as well as being assessed and assisted in meeting their needs.   DPAO, through its involvement with major providers in Jefferson County, has established an advisory liaison with individuals who represent various state and local provider services.  It is a goal that family member participation in this program will foster a positive attitude about how they can successfully meet the needs of their disabled family member, while at the same time, meet their own needs.

• Parent Support Group:  (315) 782-5285

The parent support group is designed for the family that is seeking to provide the most effective help for the disabled child residing in a family unit.  The group of parents / caregivers meets monthly, accompanied by a facilitator skilled in group dynamics, to discuss the problems which they mutually confront.

• Recreation Program for Children with Autism: (315) 782-5285

The purpose of this program is to offer an integrated recreation program for hard-to-serve children with autism and other disabilities in Jefferson County.  The program strives to provide individuals with autism the necessary skills to function in a community based recreational setting.  These children are often not given the opportunity for meaningful recreational opportunities because of the level of their disability and the one-on-one attention that is required in many situations.  It is a collaborative, person centered planning approach involving a number of agencies and an array of private commercial businesses to provide an individualized menu of recreational and socialization activities chosen by the consumers and their families.

Lewis County

• Respite / Recreation:  (315) 348-8380

This program serves children and adults who are developmentally disabled who reside with their families.  The respite program provides short term relief to the family by easing the stresses of caring for a disabled family member, while allowing the individual to benefit from recreational and leisure time activities with their peers.

• Free Standing Respite (Evening / Overnight / Weekend):  (315) 376-8327

The free standing respite program is for a developmentally disabled person of any age.  An individual may stay for as little as an hour, overnight, for the weekend, a week, etc.  Each stay may not be more than 30 consecutive days and may not be utilized more than 42 days per year.  The house is staffed by experienced people who try to make the individual's stay as much fun, as relaxing, and as much like home as possible.  Guest are accepted by appointment only.

• Family Reimbursement / Voucher Program:  (315) 782-3577

DPAO offers families the opportunity to hire someone to take care of their developmentally disabled individual in the home.  Families with developmentally disabled individuals with severe medical difficulties or who are difficult to care for, participate in this program.  The parent hires a respite provider and submits a voucher.  DPAO pays for the services rendered by the respite provider.